Play
Directed by Ana Tomović
Produced by Theater Oberhausen
Opening night: January 15 2010

Romeo und Julia (Romeo and Juliet), the first collaboration between director Ana Tomović and Silence, is an unconventional, all but cinematic staging of Shakespeare's classic, one that blends the poetics of Italian neorealist films with the rambunctiousness of Balkan cinematography.

The music, influenced by the works of legendary Italian film composers (in particular the music of Nino Rota and Ennio Morricone), is poetic, nostalgic and tuneful. It oscillates between tragedy and comedy, romanticism, and circus-like playfulness. The score, recorded by sound engineer Jadran Ogrin at studio Jork in December 2009, was performed by a selection of outstanding instrumentalists: Janez Dovč (accordion), Žiga Golob (double bass), Jurij Hladnik (clarinet), Gašper Peršl (drums and percussion), Igor Vićentić (piano), and Irena Zdolšek (zither). The closing song, Una semplice canzone (A Simple Song) – interpreted by Benko – was inspired by Alida Valli's and Lina Termini's 1940's hit Ma l'amore no.

01 Nati sotto contraria stella
02 Nati sotto contraria stella / Variazione 12/8
03 Nati sotto contraria stella / Variazione 4/4
04 Valzer di Giulietta
05 Leggierissimo
06 Passione funesta
07 Tempus Fugit
08 Inestinguibile
09 Inestinguibile / Variazione
10 Bagattella per pianoforte e clarinetto
11 Il matrimonio
12 Due famiglie
13 Una semplice canzone